Australia-bound flight lands in Honolulu with dead passenger

An Air Canada flight bound for Australia diverted to Honolulu over the weekend because of a dead passenger. Passenger Christopher Woodgate, 38, was pronounced dead when the flight landed in Honolulu on Saturday, said Kira Paiva-Kimura, an administrative services officer for the Honolulu medical examiner's office. An autopsy will be conducted. The flight from Vancouver was headed for Brisbane, Australia, when it diverted to Honolulu because of a medical emergency, said Peter Fitzpatrick, an Air Canada spokesman. He would not provide details about what happened to the passenger. “Out of respect for the privacy of our customers, Air Canada cannot confirm the details about the medical emergency,” he said. The man had been sick prior to the flight. The man was travelling with five children, his wife and another family member. There were 257 passengers and 13 crew members on the flight. The airline provided passengers with hotel and food vouchers. The passengers left Honolulu Sunday on a different flight, Fitzpatrick said.<br/>